Corvettes come with comfortable cabins, something that wasn't always true with previous-generation models. Low doorsills and narrow side rails make getting in and out easier than before and there's more room for driver and passenger. There's also a real trunk; arriving at the airport after a trip halfway around the world, we were able to cram two huge duffel bags into a coupe. The other major improvement is the elimination of the rattles and stress squeaks that have haunted Corvettes for so long. Its handsome analog gauges are easier to use and more satisfying than digital displays.
Convertibles come with a top that stows neatly under a flap that folds flat at the forward edge of the trunk lid. You'll need to read the owner's manual to figure out how to use it, however. The top is made of high-quality material with a glass rear window. The top seals well -- there were no leaks in our car wash test or our high-speed wind test.
The coupe isn't exactly quiet and there is more interior noise in the convertible than the coupe, and even more in the Z06, as we mentioned. However, this is a sports car, and noise -- particularly the calculated growl of that terrific new V8 -- is part of the deal.
The 2002 Corvette's LS1 V8 engine is potent. It produces 350 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque (with the six-speed, 360 pound-feet with the automatic).
Automatic or stick, the Corvette is fast traffic. It's quick at the starting gate, beautifully balanced, surprisingly comfortable, and built to a far higher standard than any Corvette in history. While we prefer the 6-speed, we have to admit that the automatic rams its shifts home with authority, and there's enough muscle in the LS1 V8 to cover the small performance penalties associated with auto-shifters.
Unlike most ragtops, the Corvette convertible weighs the same as the coupe, which means its acceleration performance is undiluted: 0-to-60 mph in less than 5 seconds with the 6-speed manual transmission, about 0.4 seconds slower with the automatic. The only performance penalty that goes with the convertible version is top speed. The ragtop doesn't share the coupe's aerodynamic efficiency, so it tops out at a mere 162 mph versus 175 mph for the coupe. Of course, when the top is down there's more drag and a correspondingly lower top speed. Still, that's speed that'll get you to the drive-in in a pretty big hurry -- and the local slammer even faster.
From a handling and acceleration standpoint, it's tough to perceive any performance distinctions between coupe and convertible. Corvette's chief engineer said the structural design for the new Vette began with the convertible, and as a consequence no shoring-up measures were required for the soft-top chassis. You hear the same song from almost every purveyor of convertibles, but in this application it seems to be true. If there is any distinction to be made between the agility and stability of the Corvette coupe and the new convertible, it would be all but impossible to discern on public roads.
Significantly, we haven't seen a hint of cowl shake, the time-honored malady of convertibles wherein the dashboard and exterior oscillate at differing rates. Ride quality is decidedly stiff. You don't get a sports car's ability to change directions without snubbing body roll and limiting up and down suspension motions, and when you do those things you're obliged to accept some tradeoff in comfort. Potholes are easily identifiable in the Corvette. Yet they are not uncomfortably harsh. We hear them and feel them, but they aren't jarring and don't unduly upset the handling balance.
Even with the basic suspension package, responses are surgically precise, if you can imagine a surgical instrument with 350 horsepower and great gobs of torque. The Corvette offers sharp reflexes while driving down rural roads. It provides a superb blend of muscle and finesse, with a much higher tolerance for mistakes of the enthusiastic variety, complemented by brakes that are nothing short of race worthy.
Chevrolet's second-generation Active Handling is standard equipment; it's a magical system that gets you out of slides before trouble strikes, by applying braking to the individual corners as needed. It utilizes on-board sensors to measure yaw, lateral acceleration and steering wheel position, then brings into play the capabilities of Corvette's standard ABS brake and traction control systems to smoothly assist the driver in maintaining vehicle control in oversteer or understeer situations. Some such systems have been getting criticism lately, for their hair-trigger qualities, their eagerness to aggressively assist before the driver wants or often needs such assistance. Corvette engineers say that this system has been carefully calibrated to limit such intrusiveness. Aside from an "Active Handling" message on the instrument panel, drivers might not even realize they've been assisted.
Much to our relief, and even surprise, we found this to be true on the racetrack. We spent two days in the Z06 at the Rupert Bragg-Smith Advanced Driving School, which is Chevrolet's official school for high-performance driving. It's located at a wonderful 2.2-mile rhythmic driver's circuit Bragg-Smith designed about an hour from Las Vegas. In a nutshell, we found the Z06 to be rock-steady, precise, consistent, and, of course, fast. An absolute joy to drive. The brakes didn't fade. The transmission and shift linkage was solid, tight, shifting perfectly each time, whether up or down. Bragg-Smith reports that each three-day school requires some 4000 shifts of the cars, 12,000 to 15,000 miles in a year, and there's never been a gearbox problem. Never been any problem, in fact; he says he only changes the oil and brake pads (and goes through piles and piles of tires), and that's it.
The car didn't understeer unless the driver forced it to, by his own error. It only oversteered in response to deliberately crude throttle application, and then the Active Handling brought it back into line by applying the brakes to the outside front wheel. There was one spot on the track where the suspension gave a mighty twitch, full on the throttle in third gear exiting a turn, but it stopped at that one twitch. It's a new circuit, and still smooth; a bumpy circuit might have brought different results. But it must be kept in mind that this is a road car, not a racing car. Its performance for a road car was beyond impressive. And wildly enjoyable.
Corvette is available in coupe, convertible and hardtop body styles. Coupe ($40,805) and Convertible ($47,330) use the 350-horsepower 5.7-liter V8; it meets California's Low Emissions Vehicle standards. The engine in the Z06 Hardtop ($49,505) displaces the same 5.7 liters, but produces an amazing 405 horsepower, a significant 20-horsepower boost over the 2001 model. Torque also is up, by 15, to 400 foot-pounds.
Other changes for the 2002 model year include revised rear shock valving, new high-performance front brake pads, cast aluminum wheels and standard head-up display (HUD) for the Z06. Z06s and Coupes and Convertibles with the optional Z51 suspension package also get aluminum front stabilizer bar links. All Corvettes with automatic transmissions get a new aluminum tranny cooler case. The Coupe and Convertible get a new AM/FM stereo with an in-dash CD player and an available 12-disc changer.
Navy Blue and Dark Bowling green Metallic paint no longer are available, but there's a new color called Electron Blue.
The C5 Coupe features a body-colored removable roof panel as standard equipment; it comes in translucent plastic as an option. But the Z06's top is fixed, a design chosen by engineers because that structure is stiffer. The Coupe's rear window opens like a hatchback, while the Z06 and the convertible have actual trunks.
In addition to awesomely powerful V8 engines, standard equipment for the Coupe and Convertible includes air conditioning, antilock brakes with four-wheel discs, a driver information center, remote keyless entry, stainless steel exhaust with chromed quad outlets, retractable headlights, Bose speakers, 6-way power seats, extended-mobility (run flat) Z-rated tires, traction control with active handling, cast alloy wheels and an automatic transmission.
The Z06 comes with dual-zone climate controls, titanium exhaust, a tire inflator kit for its Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, forged alloy wheels, a 6-speed manual transmission and leather seating surfaces.